Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Boosts Holdings in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM)

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM - Free Report) by 264.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 78,578 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 57,030 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned 0.07% of J. M. Smucker worth $9,931,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SJM. Valley National Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 2,266.7% in the 4th quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 284 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its position in J. M. Smucker by 77.1% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 409 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in J. M. Smucker during the 4th quarter worth $59,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group lifted its position in J. M. Smucker by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 531 shares of the company's stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in J. M. Smucker by 171.6% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 535 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 338 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J. M. Smucker Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SJM traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $118.55. 1,335,946 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,270,682. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $120.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $120.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -134.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.21. The J. M. Smucker Company has a twelve month low of $107.33 and a twelve month high of $159.92.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $2.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.21. J. M. Smucker had a negative net margin of 1.24% and a positive return on equity of 14.29%. The business had revenue of $2.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.21 EPS. The business's revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.6 earnings per share for the current year.

J. M. Smucker Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 16th. J. M. Smucker's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -481.81%.

Insider Transactions at J. M. Smucker

In other news, insider Jeannette L. Knudsen sold 3,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.77, for a total transaction of $399,264.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 8,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,116,192.42. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 3.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on SJM shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of J. M. Smucker from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 8th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $153.00 to $152.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of J. M. Smucker in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $132.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of J. M. Smucker from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $135.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $137.47.

J. M. Smucker Profile

The J. M. Smucker Company manufactures and markets branded food and beverage products worldwide. It operates in three segments: U.S. Retail Pet Foods, U.S. Retail Coffee, and U.S. Retail Consumer Foods. The company offers mainstream roast, ground, single serve, and premium coffee; peanut butter and specialty spreads; fruit spreads, toppings, and syrups; jelly products; nut mix products; shortening and oils; frozen sandwiches and snacks; pet food and pet snacks; and foodservice hot beverage, foodservice portion control, and flour products, as well as dog and cat food, frozen handheld products, juices and beverages, and baking mixes and ingredients.